Critical Reasoning

Scientists have made genetic modifications to cotton to increase its resistance to insect pests. According to farmers’ reports, the amount of insecticide needed per acre to control insect pests was only slightly lower for those who tried the modified seed than for those who did not. Therefore, since the modified seed costs more than ordinary seed without
producing yields of higher market value, switching to the modified seed would be unlikely to benefit most cotton farmers economically.
Which of the following would it be most useful to know in order to evaluate the argument?
A. Whether farmers who tried the modified cotton seed had ever tried growing other crops from genetically modified seed
B. Whether the insecticides typically used on ordinary cotton tend to be more expensive than insecticides typically used on other crops
C. Whether for most farmers who grow cotton it is their primary crop
D. Whether the farmers who have tried the modified seed planted as many acres of cotton, on average, as farmers using the ordinary seed did
E. Whether most of the farmers who tried the modified seed did so because they had previously had to use exceptionally large quantities of insecticide

IMO D.

imo E. oa pls

i will go with E too...

Given the below statement in the argument

"the amount of insecticide needed per acre to control insect pests was only slightly lower for those who tried the modified seed than for those who did not."

I think E would be appropriate

I will go by B.. The information about the cost of insecticide would be useful in this scenario...

OA Plz

I also choose E

D can not be the one....as the premise is based upon "per acre" concept. However, If farmers use exceptionally large quantities of pesticides ..then event slighly lower quantities of Pesticides would benefit them financially

imo:B

helps to evaluate why "switching to the modified seed would be unlikely to benefit most cotton farmers economically. "

IMO D

OA?

Should be D

the amount of insecticide needed per acre to control insect pests was only slightly lower for those who tried the modified seed than for those who did not.

We need to know whether the area to which insecticides were applied was comparable. D does just that.

gmat009.............OA PLZ

krazy800 wrote:gmat009.............OA PLZ

OA is E

I m not sure where u r getting those OA's but i think that is incorrect.
I have set copy which states answer as B.

we are dealing with comparison between costs of less insecticides Vs. Cost of seeds..

B ) Provides cost of insecticides for other corps for comparison - to factor if insecticides is really that important factor
E) Deals with quantity of insecticides farmers used in past - not for cotton - just their use of insecticides -

So i think between B and E ..B is more appropriate ..

In general there is no correct answer here since we need to evaluate real cost and no option provides evaluation of real costs and provides around factors..

kv_ajay wrote:I m not sure where u r getting those OA's but i think that is incorrect.
I have set copy which states answer as B.

we are dealing with comparison between costs of less insecticides Vs. Cost of seeds..

B ) Provides cost of insecticides for other corps for comparison - to factor if insecticides is really that important factor
E) Deals with quantity of insecticides farmers used in past - not for cotton - just their use of insecticides -

So i think between B and E ..B is more appropriate ..

In general there is no correct answer here since we need to evaluate real cost and no option provides evaluation of real costs and provides around factors..

B is doing irrelevant comparison...b/w insectiside for cotton crop and insectiside for other crops ...

if it would have said b/w modified insectiside for cotton crop and ordinary insectiside for cotton crop...then it would be appropriate

kv_ajay wrote:I m not sure where u r getting those OA's but i think that is incorrect.
I have set copy which states answer as B.

we are dealing with comparison between costs of less insecticides Vs. Cost of seeds..

B ) Provides cost of insecticides for other corps for comparison - to factor if insecticides is really that important factor
E) Deals with quantity of insecticides farmers used in past - not for cotton - just their use of insecticides -

So i think between B and E ..B is more appropriate ..

In general there is no correct answer here since we need to evaluate real cost and no option provides evaluation of real costs and provides around factors..

Jatinder wrote:B is doing irrelevant comparison...b/w insectiside for cotton crop and insectiside for other crops ...

if it would have said b/w modified insectiside for cotton crop and ordinary insectiside for cotton crop...then it would be appropriate

E is debatable as well - nowhere in E is there a comparison based on cost. It is essential to understand the economic impacts of original cotton seeds and modified cotton seeds with respect to insecticides because your conclusion says ''Therefore, since the modified seed costs more than ordinary seed without
producing yields of higher market value, switching to the modified seed would be unlikely to benefit most cotton farmers economically. ''

All E is saying is that the farmers who used modified seeds, did so because they used very high quantity of insecticides. That insecticide might have been way cheaper than the one used right now, so at the end of the day the farmers are not benefiting from switching over to modified seeds.

I go with B

gmat009 wrote:Scientists have made genetic modifications to cotton to increase its resistance to insect pests. According to farmers’ reports, the amount of insecticide needed per acre to control insect pests was only slightly lower for those who tried the modified seed than for those who did not. Therefore, since the modified seed costs more than ordinary seed without
producing yields of higher market value, switching to the modified seed would be unlikely to benefit most cotton farmers economically.
Which of the following would it be most useful to know in order to evaluate the argument?
A. Whether farmers who tried the modified cotton seed had ever tried growing other crops from genetically modified seed
B. Whether the insecticides typically used on ordinary cotton tend to be more expensive than insecticides typically used on other crops
C. Whether for most farmers who grow cotton it is their primary crop
D. Whether the farmers who have tried the modified seed planted as many acres of cotton, on average, as farmers using the ordinary seed did
E. Whether most of the farmers who tried the modified seed did so because they had previously had to use exceptionally large quantities of insecticide

Okay guys, let's use math

Passages gives us the following information:

+ "the amount of insecticide needed per acre to control insect pests was only slightly lower for those who tried the modified seed than for those who did not." so lets use M for modified seeds, and O for ordinary

Since it is slightly lover lets say 4lbs of Insecticide (I) for M, and 5lbs of Insecticide for O

well it seems like, we need less I for M but

What is the overall cost for both applications ?

Total $ (M) = Cost of M + Cost of I
Total $ (O) = Cost of O + Cost of I

Therefore, since the modified seed costs more than ordinary seed without
producing yields of higher market value,

Well, we know that Cost of M > Cost of O

BUT - if you are using "exceptionally large quantities" you can actually OFFSET the cost difference of seed by SAVING from the Insecticide

So we need the find out if both + and - answers will STRENGTHEN and WEAKEN the conclusion:

Most of the farmers who tried the modified seed did so because they had previously had to use exceptionally large quantities of insecticide: WEAKEN

Most of the farmers who tried the modified seed did so because they had NOT previously had to use exceptionally large quantities of insecticide: STRENGTHEN

We are right on the money guys!

8)